Facade
by ProtoRevelation
Summary: His past was grim, and so were those of many others on his world. But he did something different: he became someone else to hide who he really was. And he wasn't gonna do it alone. Relates to Broken Dreams, another story I have written.


I had been on my own for 11 years. It was a crazy feeling, having no one to rely on and no one to order you around. It all seemed to happen so quickly that day, and I almost didn't want to believe it when I figured it out. But it may have turned out to be something better for me.

I was three years old when my uncle died. I had no idea how back then. I could live by the words of a lone officer who wandered up to the doorstep of the house. I could hear the knocking on the door, but I half expected my uncle to get it. I was too busy lying in bed to concern myself with it. However, several more intervals of knocking told me that he wasn't here.

Looking back on it now, I was very mobile for my age. Looking back through old photos and home videos I kept with me ever since I had to leave, I could see my transformation through small video logs my uncle made periodically. He kept noting how I was able to walk quickly by the time I had turned one. A couple years later, and he was speaking about how I had learned to run already. Not only that, but I kept ruining my shoes because they weren't designed for toddlers that could faster than a lawn mower (That was my top speed back then. Don't judge me.).

Because of this, I hopped out of bed and ventured through the hallway and down to the front door on my own. When I grasped the knob and turned, I could feel a cold air seep in through the doorway. Seeing the officer before me, I began to act nice and proper to "avoid getting arrested", because I thought being got you arrested… I can confirm that it doesn't.

"Hello, sir." I said quite simply to him.

For being three years, my uncle also noted that I was picking up on some complex speech patterns as well. I was quite a miracle of modern genetics in his opinion. He was never quite sure what made me so special… and he never would quite sure.

Though I acted with a sense of respect and admiration for the authority figure at my doorstep, he didn't seem to have a strong and stern face like on TV. He seemed to carry a sad expression, though he fought to cover it with a straight face. But I could see something was wrong, even though I never told him so.

He knelt down in front of me, grasping my shoulder as he did so. I could almost see the sorrow for what was happening in his own eyes.

"Trust me, son, when I tell you that I have never wanted to say anything like this to any child I have met."

I nodded, only because he was a nice man.

He took a deep breath, and held his gaze at the ground for a moment, contemplating how he should phrase his words. Looking back up, he met my gaze of confusion.

"I'm sorry to say that… your father is dead."

Now here's where things got crazy. I never really knew my parents, so Uncle Chuck was really the only parent I had back then. But as I grew up, I cherished every moment with him… as if he was my father. So when the officer said, I believed that he meant Uncle Chuck was dead.

"What?" I simply replied, the tears beginning to build up in my eyes.

The officer… I could see him begin to tear up too.

"I'm so sorry, son. I know what it's like to lose someone you love, but… at your age… I know it's not something you can accept."

I could only stare at the officer with tears beginning to slip from my eyes.

I was… I don't even know if there's a word that can describe how I felt. Any other I have used to describe pain before can't match this… not ever. And to think, just the morning… the morning of my 3rd birthday… my uncle had given me my shoes… the same shoes I wore for the rest of my life. And to have him die the same day… I just… can't tell you how it felt without sounding confusing.

How do you compute death in your head when you're only three? For me, it was like trying to do anything science related. I just… couldn't place anything. And I guess that's the explanation (much simpler than I expected).

The officer couldn't help but let some tears out too. And somehow, I told myself to look for something to sob into. And I chose to run to the officer. I grasped his waist and cried endlessly into his stomach. He didn't move at all, and I felt like I was hugging a tree for a moment. But then I felt him place his hand on my spiky head. That touch was comforting. At least I knew that when you felt like you were gone, the world had its own way of finding you. Even when you think the world doesn't love you, it actually does… you just have to believe in it.

* * *

Since my uncle was gone, I was placed in an orphanage for… a few months, to be honest. I was always causing trouble, making a ruckus at night, roughhousing with the other kids there. I didn't like it there. It was like if you put me in a permanently-sealed box, except there were people in it. I can't live sitting still. I had to always be on the move… and then I got an idea.

One night, I broke out of a window on the first floor. Sure, those windows are childproof. But Uncle Chuck had been noting some of the things I could do, and I was aware of those abilities he kept mumbling to himself when he studied late at night. I had learned how to use those abilities when I wanted. This, my friends, was my first real use of the Spindash.

I launched myself out the window, and I thankfully carried no glass with me. Looking back at the window, I knew I was done with that confined space. In front of me was a forest. Beyond that… well, who knew? I simply knew I had to keep on going… to keep on living… to keep on running.

11 years passed. The king had been assassinated only a year or two before, and news of a new threat against Mobius had been spread itself around like wildfire. The menace called himself "Dr. Ivo Robotnik". I had no clue who this man was, but whenever I asked someone about it, I was met with eyes that looked as if they had seen a ghost. There was something about this Robotnik that struck fear in people's hearts. And somehow, my sense of cockiness got the better of me.

Due to my drifting through the lands of Mobius, I had developed a sort of alter-ego… something to hide the pain and suffering of my early years. He was made by harnessing the many fantastical memories I had with Uncle Chuck during those three years. But as I ventured across Mobius, I was making a name for myself, getting myself into small fights for money, participating in big racing events, and boasting about my status to everyone I could meet.

When I made this new face for myself, I knew that I needed a name… something to hide my past. My uncle kept calling me "Maurice", but he told me that my real parents gave me that one. He couldn't find anything for me, so he simply called me "sonny boy", a nickname that sounded better than "Maurice". And I agree: it's hard to come up with a good name for someone like me.

But then I remembered something he wrote on one of his papers. He was talking about my speed, and as I read through it, one line stood out in my memory: "His run is the toddler's equivalent of a sonic boom. It's crazy to think someone like him could be so talented at this age. All this… awesomeness about the kid, and yet I still can't find him a good name. I mean, what was Jules thinking? Maurice?"

Now, that goes on further, but I won't bore you with the details. But that first line caught my attention. "Sonic boom." "Sonic." I liked that name. It sounded cool, and it gave a scent of heroism that could get people to like and admire me. And so I began to call myself Sonic the Hedgehog. Of course, other nicknames emerged, such as Blue Blur, Speed Demon, and Knight of the Wind (that one sounded way past cool).

When I heard about this Robotnik and his "dastardly evils", I decided that this could be a good way for people to notice me. Maybe I could take this guy out and move on up in the world. I was ready to seek fame and fortune for my victory. Little did I know that my victory wouldn't be for a few more years… and that it wasn't exactly a complete victory.

* * *

I chased him across a good portion of South Island: across rolling green hills, through lava-infested marble temples, crazy cities with wacky transportation, a lost labyrinth, a highway still under construction, and a factory of his own. It was now when I realized what he was doing: he taking small animals and placing them in robots to power them. Not only that, but he was taking actual Mobians and turning them into robots. He was far more twisted than I was told.

I began to think about my reasons for doing this: was fame really the thing pushing me to beat him? That wasn't a noble cause. And I knew Uncle Chuck would something better than that. But how could I change Sonic, since he's already a cocky person as he was? I needed to adjust his character if I wanted to continue. Fame was no longer the goal. Now, the goal was dedicated to Uncle Chuck: to help others learn by setting an example. My goal was not to become famous and wealthy; it was to help the world by showing them what one lone Mobian could do to change it.

And that was the goal for those next three years.

* * *

Robotnik was making an escape to another land east of South Island. I hitched on another plane that was headed in at least the same direction. Timing my jump perfectly, I landed on the peak of a mountain on Westside Island. I had only been there once before for some fighting tournament, but that several years before. The place seemed so barren now.

As I worked my around the island, I was trying to judge where Robotnik was, and I couldn't figure it out for the first hours of the morning. But some yelling and mechanical noises from nearby alerted me. I was certain that the mechanical noises were Robotnik's little Badniks, as he called them. However, I had no clue who was yelling.

I quickly skidded behind a bush and peaked out to find three Badniks… all terrorizing a small animal. It was only a tad smaller than me, but it was still pretty small. The yelling continued, and no one else was around to hear… except me.

I hopped out from the bush and upheld my authority.

"Hey, bolt-brains!" I quickly announced.

The three small monkey Badniks turned towards me, their deadpan faces of stupid staring at me.

"Hey, don't give me that look, young man! You know the punishment: line up according to height for your beat downs!"

They all charged at me, and a few swift kicks reduced to robotic limbs on the ground. My god, it was so much easier to take them out back then. After dusting my shoes, I turned back to the animal.

"You okay?" I asked, but then I noticed what it looked like.

It was a fox… one that had bruises on his body and face, and a small cut at the edge of his ear. His small forehead hair tassels hang solemnly between his blue eyes. Tears were streaming down his face, but now they had ceased, and his mouth was open in awe. This kid… he had been left alone. I had been gone from this island for… maybe five or so years. Where did everyone go? And why did they leave this one lone child here? But then it clicked.

This child was a lot like me, except with a grimmer tale. He had been left alone, and he had decided to live on his own. Sadly the island became violent and scary, with robots roaming its coastlines and forests. He was no longer able to survive without being hurt. This kid hadn't become some different like I had… he had stayed the same, and it didn't get him very far.

The small fox, who I assumed was around 11, didn't say a word in reply. When I knelt to get a better look at him, he flinched and started to curl up into a ball. He didn't want to fight, but neither did I.

"Whoa, lil' buddy, it's okay." I continued, trying to gain his trust with a gentle tone. "You don't have to be afraid."

He only poked one eye from below his arms, but that was all I got. I tried to reach my hand out, but he immediately shrunk back into his ball.

"I'm here to help. Do you think you can tell me what happened?"

Once again, he showed his eye. This time, instead of moving, I continued talking.

"Um… how about your name? Do you have a name?"

He then tilted his head fully upright, showing both of his eyes. He simply shoke his head. This kid had been left stranded on this island, and he didn't have anything… not even a name. I was beginning to respect the name Maurice a bit more now.

"Can you talk?"

I lowered his arms to reveal his furry white muzzle, which was soaked on both cheeks.

"Y…y-yes."

Phew. I thought I was talking to a mime.

"Do you… know what happened here?"

He just started looking around.

"I remember waking up one day, and everyone was gone. And then I saw this scary monster show up. I stayed in my house… or at least I thin it was my house. I remember taking some things and putting them in a bag. I ran away as soon as I got the chance."

The Badniks… they must've… to the people on the island. My god, this kid was living a nightmare.

"When did that happen?"

"I think… I think five years ago."

Wow. He barely knew how long it had been.

But as I began to make sense of it, I noticed his tail… his TWO tails… resting behind him like pillows on a couch.

"What's with the two tails?"

He looked behind him, and then lowered his head, as if he was ashamed of something.

"What's wrong?"

He tried to pick his head back up, but his eyes were glued to the ground.

"It's just that… kids… in my village… they always made fun of me. They kept calling me a… a freak… a freak of nature."

The opposite of what Uncle Chuck called me… a miracle of modern genetics.

"What's wrong with having two tails?"

"Everybody else had one."

He was an outcast. No one loved, even before the Badniks. Wait… did his parents even love him?

"You have a family?"

He simply shoke his head at me. This kid had lost it all, and yet he kept trying to stay alive all these years.

"Listen… kid. I… let's just say I know how you feel."

He looked up at me, his eyes sad and almost in disbelief. And he wasn't wrong with having that expression: he had it rough the most. But I still understood the feelings… I was simply hiding them with the face of Sonic.

I pressed on, saying, "I may not look it, but I've lost people around me too. And I think about them every single day I live. But you know what I did?"

The fox merely stared at me with his stone-cold blue eyes.

"I made myself a new life. I changed my name, how I acted, what I did. I became something different… something unique. I'm a new person, one that enjoys life and its endless possibilities. And that can be you too."

He finally picked his head up, his eyes looking at mine with tears beginning to surface. And then he let out a small smile. But it wasn't any ordinary smile… it was a smile that had been held back for so long… that when it came out… it made the world shine brighter than the sun in my eyes. This was the face of someone who had finally found hope.

"You want to come with me?" I asked slowly.

He pondered for a small moment. He was trying to think and cry at the same time, poor guy.

"Come with you where?" he asked.

I simply smirked at him.

"Anywhere you want."

I reached my hand out to him. I could see him slightly flinch, but he didn't become afraid. And after a few seconds of thinking, he slowly reached out and grasped my hand. As I stood up, I pulled him up with me.

"So… where to first, Tails?" I inquired.

He gave me an odd look, one that would later be given to me again a couple years later.

"Tails?"

"Gotta call you somethin', don't I? What do you think?"

He smiled in agreement.

"Well, I want to get rid of these bad robots."

"Wait… really? I thought you scared of 'em."

He simply stood by my side, looking at me with a determined face.

"I have a friend now. I'm not scared anymore."

I smirked at him.

"You have more than a friend, Tails."

He looked at me in wonder.

"You have a brother."

We started it as brothers… and we finished it as brothers.

* * *

**Hello, everybody! Sorry for not posting much in a while. I've been busy with video games and getting volunteer hours done at a veterinary hospital, so I haven't had the time I wanted for writing. However, I hope this confirms with you all that I'm not dead.**

**Now, first of all: no, Young Flier is not finished. I've been working on the story details and outlining it all. Plus, the vet and video games have side tracked me a lot, so it's hard to fins time to write. Hopefully, I can get a decent amount of chapters up over the next few days. I want Young Flier to be great, so please be patient as I figure out the details.**

**Secondly, you could call this a small add-on to Broken Dreams. If you haven't read that, then that last line may not make as much sense as it should. Read the big Sonic story I wrote to understand. In all seriousness, this is my way of recreating what I wanted to accomplish with Broken Dreams: the beginning of Sonic the Hedgehog. However, since Book II didn't work out as I wanted it to, this is what we have instead… and it's much better in my opinion. I've always admired the friendship between Sonic and Tails. This story and Broken Dreams takes it to a level of emotions that have left people saying it was an emotional story… and I never anticipated that.**

**Anyways, enough of that. Go ahead and review this story if you want. Also, don't forget to check my finished story, Broken Dreams, which is what this is mostly based off of, and Young Flier, an MLP fanfic currently in the works.**

**That's it. Read ya later!**


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